


Daimon, the Korinto-kai, and Irezumi (Tattoos)

by Melchinafan



Category: The Secret World
Genre: Gen, Irezumi, Korinto-kai, Magical Tattoos, Notfic, SWL, TSW, Tattoos, tebori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-27 14:10:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10810614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melchinafan/pseuds/Melchinafan
Summary: An introduction to irezumi (traditional Japanese tattooing) and some of the rules it follows, followed by detailed theorizing on what Daimon Kiyota's tattoos look like and why. My theory is based on what I've learned about irezumi applied to what we see on his in-game model/character art, the information given in the lore/environment, and his personality. Contains many reference links (plus a few for amusement). Somewhat spoilery if you have not played TSW/SWL to Kaidan and met this character yet.





	Daimon, the Korinto-kai, and Irezumi (Tattoos)

**Author's Note:**

> So I just read a post (https://elfwreck.tumblr.com/post/159796406654/des-zimbits-hey-that-thing-you-wrote-that) about how AO3 wants ALL THE THINGS, including things not-quite-fic. Since TSW's section can always use more stuff, and I still rather like this post and all the info I gathered, I figured I'd share it.
> 
> If you have more information, any corrections, alternate suggestions, etc., please comment! I did a fair bit of research, but am FAR from an expert in this subject, and would love to refine my ideas further if there's anything wrong/missing/etc.

I was [oggling the lore](http://wiki.crygaia.org/view/Lore:The_Korinto-kai) for the Korinto-kai, and seeing mention of their magical tattoos got my brain spiraling off in a train of thought that settled on pondering what Daimon’s could look like. I read the lore, googled [Horimyo](http://www.horimyo.com/artwork.php), found out he’s a person and not a tattoo style…and then things escalated, I did a solid week’s worth of research, and came up with some ideas for Daimon’s tattoo, plus an idea of who in the Korinto-kai is or is not tattooed. (Now, none of this applies if Daimon just has random tattoos here and there, but I think it’s reasonable to assume that’s not the case.)  
  
Take all of this with a grain of salt, because this topic takes years to master, and a week is nothing. There are also those who have learned traditionally, but are willing (and sometimes happy) to break the rules. Usually because they know [what they’re doing and why](http://irebokuro.tumblr.com/post/21838916774/if-you-could-explain-how-seasons-work-in-japanese), but either way, even pretty well-set tradition has wiggle room.  
  
[TL;DR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW5UB4Y84S4&feature=youtu.be&t=148): Daimon is exactly the right kind of asshole to get a traditional Japanese tattoo that deliberately sets all the rules on fire and chucks ‘em out the window, and the visible bits we can see are like symbolic middle fingers flipping off tradition from under his clothing.  
  
~~~~~  
  
First thing’s first, some basic background info on traditional Japanese tattoos ([irezumi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi)): as opposed to common western style of smaller individual pieces that may sometimes come together into a larger whole, irezumi generally covers a large area of the body. The “[suits](http://www.horimatsu.com/sizes-and-placement/)” range from covering only part of the arms and chest, all the way to almost the entire body (excepting hands, feet, neck, and head). There is also commonly a gap left down the middle of the torso (munewari), to allow for an open kimono to show bare skin. This is so that the tattoo can easily be concealed underneath clothing, though it is possible to have the tattoo completely fill the area, or [have things](http://www.bigtattooplanet.com/forums/tattoo-talk/36239-japanese-body-suits-question#post758259) like Buddhist prayer beads, kanji, or other symbols within the space of the munewari.  
  
The images that are tattooed are usually taken from woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) with one large piece (often a person or two) taking up the entire back, and smaller elements on the rest of the body. All of these elements are done over a background (stylized bars of wind, clouds, and/or water) which helps to make it one cohesive piece, as well as give clean borders to mark the chosen boundary for the tattoo. Another way cohesion is maintained is by keeping the elements used grouped together, generally by seasons—[i.e.](http://irebokuro.tumblr.com/post/20959814608/hana), pairing a single carp (koi) with maple leaves (momiji) because they are both associated with autumn.  
  
The traditional method in which these tattoos are applied is called tebori, which involves [poking a tool](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqpRvxLDqI) that has a row of needles into the skin by hand. It takes years of training for someone to learn how to do it, during which they serve under a master. When they have become a master in their own right, they are given a title with the prefix Hori-, which is used as their tattooist name.* Traditionally, there’s a lot of focus and ritual that goes into tattooing someone with tebori, and it is not something done lightly. The tattooist discusses with the client what they want and what it means, because how the symbology reflects the person it’s going on is very important, and the tattooist may refuse the client if an agreement cannot be reached. The tattooist needs to have a clear idea of what the final product will be because the entire outline (sujibori) is completed first, with color and shading added afterward, often over the course of years. The way the entire process is handled with a great amount of consideration, respect, and focus arguably results in all irezumi done traditionally with tebori being at least a little magic within TSW. It’s probable that there would be ways to infuse irezumi with more magic—enchanted ink (sumi), needles, spoken or written spells, etc.—which is likely what is done for the Korinto-kai.  
  
*This makes the fact that the lore for the Korinto-kai references “horimyo [sic]” instead of “tebori,” “irezumi,” or “horimono” (or a handful of other things it could be called) a bit odd. As a name, it should be capitalized, and our world’s Horimyo has specifically stated he does not serve yakuza. It’s possible that within TSW there is a different Horimyo, or that it was given as a clue for us to find the inspiration for the visible parts of Daimon’s tattoos. (Or, there was a miscommunication between the character artist and Scriv, wherein the artist name was given instead of the method name.)  
  
~~~~~  
  
With the information above, we can assume that any Korinto-kai with bare shoulders or an exposed back is not tattooed (unless they got something before they joined, or Daimon let them get western tattoos). Since the entire sujibori is done first, rather than outlines and color in small chunks at a time, there would almost definitely be something on or near the shoulders. Anyone with their shoulders covered can have any size tattoo that the rest of their clothing allows.  
  
Yamato is a bit of a special case, being the only person besides Daimon who has tattooing that goes onto his hand, spreading beyond the allotted boundary that may be used for irezumi. (Barring about two or three guys, even the non-traditional stuff I remember seeing in my research didn’t go past these boundaries.) But, since it could be covered by gloves, it’s just a hair more conservative in its defiance than Daimon’s. Yamato has, at minimum, two (potentially identical) dragons going up his arms, most likely ending up with their faces on his chest. There's more on his sides and back, implied by what can be seen from underneath his shirt, but I am uncertain what is there besides the edges of the background we can see. It’s hard to say for sure, but it looks like the water (and clouds?) background he has is black. (If it were blue, I’d say Daimon made him do it, because you DO NOT do blue water. You will look like a tool.) Having the background be black and grey allows for the foreground elements done in color to stand out properly. This style of tattooing is done in a manner that allows it to be seen clearly from a distance, and colorful backgrounds would muddle that clarity.  
  
(Details on Daimon's potential tattoo in the second post.)

 

* * *

 

 

WHEW okay, still with me? Now on to [Daimon’s tattoos](https://40.media.tumblr.com/cf5e85a42bfc371f9a55ccbb1239bfc2/tumblr_inline_nvay4tRB961rqxizb_540.png)! As I said before, his visible tattoos are like symbolic middle fingers flipping off tradition—his neck in particular, since that goes all the way up to his jaw, and that can’t be covered up by practical clothing. (Even the guy I saw with tattoos extending up his neck onto his head could probably hide those with a hoodie or long hair. Daimon’s are way too far forward for that.) As for the dragon chin we can see on his left hand, it bears a striking resemblance to [a tattoo](http://www.horimyo.com/images/artwork/l-024-wa.jpg) done by the Horimyo mentioned in the lore, and was thus likely the reference the artist used. Looking into his other tattoos, there are two [other](http://www.horimyo.com/images/artwork/l-003.jpg) [pieces](http://www.horimyo.com/images/artwork/l-004.jpg) he’s done that arguably have edging similar to what is on Daimon’s right hand and neck. It’s part of his “strange” (myo) gallery of tattoos (seen on his site linked in the previous post), rather than his specifically-Japanese styled works, but I am uncertain what traditional image might result in long, thin “claws” like that.  
  
As for what we can’t see…it suits to reason he’d have full body tattooing, to take maximum advantage of the magic it could give, but I’ve only been able to figure out something for a gobu (5/10 or "shorts" style) with long sleeves—which is to say, I am not sure how/what to fit on his calves with this idea. Going by what I learned of the symbolism, what we know of his character, and trying to maintain relevance to both the idea that he reincarnates and that he might be Ryujin, this is what I figure his tattoo might be:

  * A koi swimming up his left thigh on a background of water ([referencing](http://www.irezumiart.co.uk/irezumi-symbology/) the legend that koi can become dragons via swimming upstream/waterfalls; showing no fear on the cutting board has similarities to “fingering your own bullet wound”), likely with momiji (longevity, balance)
  * A whirlpool on his left side, out of which the waterfall is flowing, and toward which the koi is swimming (surviving the chaos is what will ultimately shape the koi)
  * On his left forearm, swirly wind/cloud shenanigans inspired by Horimyo’s eyeball/butterfly tattoo (to accommodate the visible tattoo on his left hand, and add more chaos)
  * A crow facing toward him on his left shoulder over a wind/cloud background (specifically, [Yatagarasu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-legged_crow), who led [the first emperor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu)—who was descended from at least Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Ryujin— to Yamato; [symbolizes](http://www.avesnoir.com/yata-garasu-the-ravens-of-japanese-myth/) divine intervention in human affairs, [rebirth and rejuvenation](http://wayback.archive.org/web/20160402195734/http://mythicalcreatureslist.com/mythical-creature/Yata+Garasu) via crows consuming corpses, and the sun (ew); also references “a crow sat on the rotten shoulder of a pendulum cadaver”); possibly with pine needles (“matsu”—because most of the ukiyo-e I found [of crows](http://www.avesnoir.com/gallerie/japanese-gallery/) includes them, and it symbolizes longevity or immortality)
  * A dragon curling down his right arm toward his hand ("because duh," if we're being frank), probably clutching a pearl in its right claw (except the pearl is actually a pachinko ball, also because duh, but also legitimate symbolism about holding the essence of the universe and control over pretty much everything, and if that’s not what his pachinko machine gives him then I don’t know what it does), on an eyeball-inspired water background (because of his neck, the painting on his wall, [and](https://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?80293-The-Dragon-Ryujin) [Ryujin](https://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?79868-Daimon-Kiyota/page9) [theorizing](http://tsuki-no-yume.tumblr.com/post/129938581654/daimon-kiyota-and-the-dragon)); possibly with peonies (“botan”—the epitome of Daimon symbolism; elegance and wealth, but more importantly, "it also suggests a sort of gambling, daring and even a masculine devil-may-care attitude")
  * Uncertain about his right side—I’ve considered a turtle (“kame,” good luck googling it without DBZ references) with moss/seaweed growing from its shell (“[minogame](http://irebokuro.tumblr.com/post/26058096285/minogame)”—another symbolism of longevity and a bunch of other things, also can incorporate a hexagon on the shell), on water background again; could alternately have (more?) botan here
  * A skull or two on his right thigh (great change, "embracing the new," and "celebrating a great life"), facing toward the koi, probably with the jaw open, "laughing” (emphasize celebrating and “be the fool”); possibly sitting on rocks jutting out of the rest of the water background; probably with a centipede (which appear during late summer) or summer plant, to round out the seasons
  * Possibly [Tachibana-hime](http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/Mirror%20of%20Warriors%20of%20Our%20Country%20%28S87%29_files/image016.jpg) on his back (if one assumes that [watatsumi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watatsumi) is [Ryujin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABjin))—there’s another ukiyo-e involving Ryujin (see the wiki link) with Tamatori-hime, but that involves him being stolen from, and I suspect he’d rather have a willing appeasement sacrifice; alternately, MORE BOTAN
  * Coral (have yet to find ukiyo-e reference, though, so maybe not) on his butt, since that is what Ryujin’s undersea palace ([Ryugu-jo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABg%C5%AB-j%C5%8D)) is said to be made of; with Tachibana-hime on his back, having coral below that piece places it “under the sea” (or “on the bottom of the sea,” if we’re being punny)



  
  
  
Half-joking theories:

  * A [kappa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_%28folklore%29) on his lower back, grabbing his butt (are his pachinko balls shirikodama gifted to him from kappa? They could be. Dwell on that for a bit.)
  * [SKULLPOOPL](http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/KingPatel/news/?a=129963) (I bet you he’d do it.)
  * The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife (and/or similar) on his inner thigh (I can’t link this one because it’s very NSFW, but “hidden tattoos” (kakushibori) are a thing, and it's Daimon, so this is probably actually serious)
  * Botan. Just. Nothing but botan, everywhere. Except for the one dragon. (This is also not really a joke, because it’d work perfectly fine.)



  
  
I tried to make sure everything incorporated into his tattoo make sense separately, but in the direction they're all going it also forms a convenient loop that (I think) cleanly captures theories about him reincarnating. (Was that just me? I can't remember if anyone else liked that theory.) And if he doesn’t do that, there's enough to cover the Ryujin theories, too. Along with the direct references to Ryujin listed above, Ryugu-jo is sometimes said to have a different season on each side, so the front half of his tattoo has a different season on each limb. (Which is part of why I felt it was okay to mix seasons for Daimon—not just tossing the one-season rule out the window, but because it makes sense for both reincarnation cycles and Ryujin.) My only regret is not really being able to put the seasons out of order while still meshing well, because “linear time is so boring.” Perhaps it’s time for a change in tattoo…  
  
Speaking of, Daimon is exactly the kind of crazy to change his tattoos by faking his death, getting himself skinned to donate his [irezumi](http://selvedgeyard.com/2010/04/20/ancient-art-of-the-japanese-tebori-tattoo-masters-ink-in-harmony/) to [science](http://www.calebwilde.com/2015/01/dr-masaichi-fukushi-and-his-collection-of-body-art/), and then haul his too-naked butt out of the morgue and back into the Korinto-kai [after his skin grows back](http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/Melfina-chan/Uncle%20Frank%20Smoking_zpsper4x26z.gif). (I betcha that gif is post-skin-sloughing, pre-barney-mugging.)  
  
~~~~~  
  
If I’ve made any mistakes (I am tired and should be sleeping, not trying to find wicked links), or you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment! Like I said, even though I did a fair chunk of research, it takes years to learn this properly. I’ll be surprised if I didn’t muck up something horribly.

**Author's Note:**

> Copy-pasted from the original post here: https://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?95354-Daimon-the-Korinto-kai-and-Irezumi-(Tattoos)
> 
> A few of the links were broken/their content changed since I originally posted it, and have been fixed here. But again, I should be sleeping, so I'll go back and fix the original post later. (And then decide whether to edit some of the wording here to make more sense, since it's a straight copy-paste right now. Might also add a bunch more tags, because why not.)
> 
> As of this posting, The Secret World is not available for purchase, because it is being relaunched as Secret World Legends. https://secretworldlegends.com/  
> Keep an eye out for SWL's release if you're a horror fan, and like games with excellent stories and characters who feel like real people. (And then come talk with me about it because, if the above rambly theorizing wasn't a clue, I'm maybe just a little bit obsessed with this game/setting/IP.)


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